Stage names:

Yamashita Kamenojô IV
Yamashita Kyônosuke

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry name: Tôko

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Yamashita Shirogorô

Career:

1758 ~ 1761: disciple of Yamashita Shirogorô, his first stage name was Yamashita Kyônosuke; he performed in Kyôto as an iroko.

11th lunar month of 1761: Kyônosuke became wakashugata, performing at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Hitomaru Banzei no Utena", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô.

11th lunar month of 1765: he became both wakaonnagata and zamoto; he coproduced with Ichiyama Sukegorô II at the Minamigawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Kachidoki Asahi no Ôgi", in which he played the role of Kyô-no-Kimi and which welcomed in Kyôto the Edo actor Ichikawa Danzô III.

11th lunar month of 1766: Kyônosuke coproduced with Ichiyama Sukegorô II at the Minamigawa no Shibai the kaomise drama "Yuki no Asa Daimonjitsu Miyako no Fuku".

Fall 1767: Kyônosuke went to Edo.

11th lunar month of 1767: Kyônosuke performed at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Sanada no Yoichi Banjaku no Iezuto".

11th lunar month of 1768: Kyônosuke performed at the Ichimuraza in the kaomise drama "Otokoyama Yunzei Kurabe", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Tomozô I and Tomizawa Hanzaburô II.

11th lunar month of 1770: Kyônosuke performed at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nue no Mori Ichiyô no Mato", which celebrated the shûmei of Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Nakamura Shôchô, Ichikawa Monnosuke II, Nakamura Shichisaburô III and Bandô Sanpachi II.

1771 ~ 1776: Kyônosuke performed in tabi shibai.

Fall 1776: Kyônosuke went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1776: Kyônosuke performed in Kyôto in the kaomise drama "Oso Uji Yodo no Irifune", which was produced by Matsuyama Kogenji and celebrated the shûmei of Mihogi Gizaemon II.

Fall 1777: Kyônosuke went to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1777: Yamashita Kyônosuke took the name of Yamashita Kamenojô IV at the Naka no Shibai, performing in the kaomise drama "Daijizai Kaminari no Kodakara", which was produced by the zamoto Ichiyama Tajirô and welcomed back in Ôsaka Arashi Sangorô II after 3 and 7 seasons spent in Kyôto and Edo.

12th lunar month of 1777: Kamenojô played in the same theater the role of the keisei Harusame in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Suô no Dairi".

1st lunar month of 1778: Kamenojô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

9th lunar month of 1778: Kamenojô played in the same theater the roles of Tatsuta-no-Mae and Haru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; his stage partners were Nakamura Utaemon I (Matsuômaru), Arashi Kichisaburô I (Shiratayû, Genzô, Terukuni), Sawamura Kunitarô I (Tonami, Kakuju, Yae), Arashi Shichisaburô II (Umeômaru), Bandô Iwagorô (Shihei, Shundô Genba), Mimasu Tokujirô I (Kan Shôjô, Chiyo), Arashi Sangorô II (Sakuramaru) and Nakamura Jiroza II (Hyôei, Mareyo).

11th lunar month of 1778: Kamenojô became zamoto and produced at the Naka no Shibai the kaomise drama "Toki-ni Tôdai Sennin Kagami", in which he played the role of Komaki.

1st lunar month of 1779: Kamenojô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. He was the kanjiku for wakaonnagata actors.

11th lunar month of 1779: Kamenojô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the keisei Ômachi in the kaomise drama "Senshû Banzei Chibako no Tamamono", which was produced by Yoshizawa Iroha I and celebrated also the shûmei of Nakamura Noshio II and Yamamura Giemon II.

2nd lunar month of 1781: Kamenojô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Otoku in the drama "Keisei Hangonkô"; the role of Otoku's husband Matahei was played by Nakayama Bunshichi I.

11th lunar month of 1780: Kamenojô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the keisei Kozue in the kaomise drama "Ujigami Sairai Sukedono no Kachidoki".

12th lunar month of 1781: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Tengajaya-mura"; Kamenojô played the roles of mekake Kosai and Kôemon's wife [casting]. A similar play was staged a few days later under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai", at the Naka no Shibai [casting]. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters.

5th lunar month of 1784: première in ôshibai, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, of the gidayû kyôgen "Yura no Minato Sengen Chôja"; Kamenojô played the roles of Gonroku's nyôbô Yamaoka Orachi and Sanshô's musume Osan [casting].

5th ~ 6th lunar month of 1784: Kamenojô played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Okaji in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".

August ~ 9th lunar month of 1784: Kamenojô played in the same theater the role of Suke-no-Tsubone in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura".

1784 ~ 1788: Kyônosuke performed in tabi shibai.

1787: tour in Ise and Nagoya.

5th lunar month of 1788: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi", which was staged in Ise at the Furuichi no Shibai; Kamenojô played the role of Ichimisai's elder daughter Osono [casting].

Summer 1788: Kamenojô played in Sakai the roles of Yuranosuke's wife Oishi and Honzô's wife Osono in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partner in the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Kakogawa Honzô was Ichikawa Danzô IV.

9th lunar month of 1788: Kamenojô's last-recorded performance, in Ôsaka at the Kita no Shinchi Shibai, where he played the roles of Yuranosuke's wife Oishi and Honzô's wife Osono in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partners in the roles of Ôboshi Yuranosuke and Kakogawa Honzô were Mihogi Gizaemon II and Yamamura Giemon II. No record afterwards.

Comments:

Yamashita Kamenojô IV was a Kamigata onnagata actor, who was active from 1758 to 1788. He excelled in both jidaimono and sewamono, was also good-looking and had a good kôseki (good voice and good at delivering lines). He was said to be both an excellent dancer and outstanding at playing sewa nyôbô roles.

Yamashita Kamenojô IV as depicted in the book "Santo Yakusha Omokage Zukushi" published in Ôsaka in 1784 by Yamatoya Kaemon

Prints & Illustrations

The Yamashita Kamenojô line of actors